Eyeglasses.



No. 855,861 PATENTED JUNE 4, 1907.

- L.- L. MINCER,r

EYEGLASSES.

APPLICATION TILED DEC. 1, 1906.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

PATENTED JUNE 4, 1907.

L. L. MINGER. EYEGLASSES. APPLICATION FILED DEO.1.1905.

a SHEETS-SHEET z.

gnoentoz:

PATENTED JUNE 4, 1907.

L. L. MINGER. EYEGLASSES.

APPLIOATIQH FILED nnq.1.19os.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

. swam-- co., wAsHmann, n. r:v

LOUIS LABE MINOER, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK.

EYEGLASSES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 4, 1907.

Application filed December 1,1905. Serial No. 289,806.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LoUIs LABE MINOER, of Rochester, in the county ofMonroe, State of New York, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Eyeglasses, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to produce improvements in eye-glasses ofthe nose-glass type, whereby the resilient action of the spring whichholds the glasses upon the nose is operatively developed transversely tothe plane of the lenses instead of in a plane parallel to the lenses asit is in the ordinary type of nose glass as well as in that class ofglasses in which one lens is drawn toward the other by a springconnection.

My invention includes certain fittings for reducing to practicalembodiment the principle of my invention as herein set forth, especially means for folding the glasses into small compass for thepocket, as well as an improved form of guard mounting for noseglassesgenerally.

In the accompanying drawings, which constitute a part of thisspecification, Figure I is a front elevation of a pair of nose-glasses,constructed in accordance with the principle of my invention, and whichserves equally to illustrate, as will appear from the specification, thestiff-frame glasses or the foldingframe glasses. Fig. II is a view atright angles to Fig. I, showing the normal positions of frame and lensesin full lines, and their engaging positions upon a nose in dotted lines.Fig. III is a partial view, corresponding to Fig. I, of a folding-framepair of glasses, showing the glasses folded or closed to reduce theircompass so that they may be introduced into a pocket or case for thepocket. Fig. IV is a perspective view of a guard, showing my improvedcoil-spring guard-support attached thereto. Fig. V is a perspective viewof a lensand-spring connectingmember or frame-piece adapted for theconstruction of the folding-frame glasses shown in Fig. III. Fig. VI isa view in all respects corresponding to Fig. V, but difierentiated fromit only by the closed spring loop instead of the open spring loop, bywhich difierentiation it is adapted for use in stiff-frame glasses. Thedifference between the open and closed spring loop is, in fact, the onlydifference between the stiif-frame and the folding-frame glasses. It is,for that reason, the closed loop and the open loop appearing the same infront elevation, that Fig. I is, as

has been specified, equally illustrative, in front elevation, of the twoforms of glasses referred to. Fig. VII is a view similar to Fig. I,showing a flat spring similar to that shown in Fig. I but of modifiedform and with frame-pieces modified to accommodate the same. Fig. VIIIis a perspective view of one of the frame-pieces shown in Fig. VII,detached. Fig. IX is a similar view of the spring shown in Fig. VIIdetached. Fig. X is a view similar to Fig. VII, showing a still furthermodification of spring, to wit, one of round shape in cross section, andwhose resiliency is derived from terminal coils operatively secured inthe respective lens-framepieces. Fig. XI is a perspective view of one ofthe lens-frame-pieces detached, shown in Fig. X. Fig. XII is aperspective view of one of the springs shown in Fig. X.

Referring to the numerals on the drawings, 1 indicates one lens and 2the other of a pair of nose-glasses, to which are secured, as by a screw3 connecting them upon opposite sides through each lens, clips 4 and 5of frame-pieces corresponding to but differentiated from the usualirame-pieces.

The frame-pieces referred to are clearly shown in Figs V and VI, whichareidentical except for the differentiation of the springloops therein,as hereinbefore specified in the description of those figures. Each isprovided with a spring-stud 6 having a spring plate 7 and a spring-loop,designated by the numeral 8 in Fig. VI, and by the numeral 9 in Fig. V.The loop 8 is continuous. and the loop 9 is open on one side for theperformance of a function previously alluded to but hereinafter morefully explained.

10 indicates a spring whose ends 11 and 12, respectively, are secured,as by screws 14 and 15, to the respective spring-plates 7 in front ofthe lenses. The screws 14 and 15, respectively, serve to rigidly unitethe spring 10 to the lens-frame-pieces, respectively, if they beprovided with a loop 8, but if the loop 9 be provided, those screwsserve as pivotal members, about which, movement of the frame-pieces,with respect to the frame 10, may be made. (Compare Figs. I and III.)Each of the frame-pieces is also provided with a guard-stud 16preferably provided upon opposite sides, with cheek-plates 17 and 18,which confine between them the guard shank, which may be of any usual orpreferred form. I prefer that the rearwardly extending guard, indicatedby the numeral IIO . frame-pieces turn.

19, should be provided with my spring support 20, which preferablyconsists of a confiningterminal-member 21, which affords purchase forthe screw 22 to hold it in place etween the cheek-plates 17 and 18. Itsother end terminates in a true spiral spring 23, that is to say, aspring formed of a curved member whose convolutions continuouslyincrease or decrease in diameter. Said spring is soldered or otherwisesecured to the back of the guard 19 and which serves automatically toadjust the guard to the surface against which the resiliency of thespring 10 yieldingly urges it. My coil-spring guard-support isapplicable to a variety of forms of noseglasses, and particularly toeach form of eyeglasses shown in this application.

It has been specified that if the open spring-loops 9 be employed, thescrews 14 and 15 serve as pivots, about which the lens- This operationis illustrated, by change of position, in Fig. III of the drawings,wherein the lenses 1 and 2 are moved toward each other about the pivots14 and 15, the open loops 9 of the lens-framepieces freely permittingsuch movement. These open loops also serve to limit the movement of thelenses away from each other, so that when the lenses are in use theiraxes are substantially horizontal, as shown in Fig. 1.

It should be observed in respect to the figures already referred to aswell as with reference to the other figures of the drawings that in eachinstance the connection between the spring 10 or corresponding member ismade exclusively with the lens-frame-pieces independently of the lensesthemselves so far as any direct connection is concerned.

In Figs. VII to IX inclusive a slight modification of the means ofconnecting the spring to the lens-frame-pieces is shown. In thosefigures, so far as it is shown, the spring, there designated by thenumeral 25, but corresponding in function to the spring 10 previouslydescribed, is slightly modified from the spring 10. It is provided nearits opposite ends with'a pair of bends 26 and 27 (see Fig. IX) whichserve at the same time to increase its resiliency and to contribute tothe means of union with the lens-frame-pieces, to whichit is secured.The lens-frame-pieces, as shown in Fig. VIII, are modified toaccommodate the bends 26 and 27. Each lensframe-pieces, as shown in thatfigure, is provided with lens clips 29 and 30, having 00-,

axial apertures 31 and 32 for the reception of a lens-retaining screw33. (See Fig. III.) The outer clip 29 is also provided with a threadedaperture 34 for the reception of a screw 35, which passing through anaperture 36 in one of the terminal plates of the spring affords means ofsecuring that spring in place. Additional means of connection with thebends 26 and 27, respectively, are provided. They consist preferably ofa box or rectangular aperture 40 in the lens-frame-piece adapted toreceive one of the bends 26 or 27. The screw 41, se cured in the box 40and extending transversely through the bend of the spring 25, holds thatspring snugly into engagement with the lens-frame-piece and without anystrain upon the lens. 42 indicates the guard-stud to which the guard 43is secured in the usual manner not necessary to describe againparticularly. The function of the spring 25 is substantially identicalwith that of the spring 10, in the stiff-frame type of glassespreviously described. The only modification is in the manner of securingthe spring to the lens-frame-pieces.

In Figs. X to XII I show a modified form of spring, with a slightmodification of the lens-framepieces to accommodate it. The spring 45 ispreferably of round shape in cross section. It is provided near itsopposite ends with resilient coils 46, accommodated, respectively, inboxes 47 provided for them in the lens-frame-pieces andsubstantiallyidentical with the boxes 40 previously described. Each of the boxes 47is provided with a screw 48, which is substantially identical with thescrews 41 already referred to.

Each. is adapted to pass through one of the coils 46 and to secure it inplace. Each prolonged end 49 of the spring 45 is secured to itslens-frame-piece as by a keeper 50, corresponding in function to thescrew 35, but preferably consisting of a hook, as clearly shown in Fig.XI.

With reference to the terminology of the claims, it may be stated thatthe loops 8 and 9 and the boxes 40 and 47 are generically designated asspring-confining members for the reason that the members enumeratedperform the common function of confining the spring in place upon thelens-framepieces, and constitute, with the screws 14 and 15, and 35 andthe keepers 50, plural means of uniting the lens-frame-pieces and theirspring in the several forms illustrated and described.

Briefly described, the operation of my glasses when in use is asfollows. Taking, for example, the glasses shown in Fig. I, which are reresentative of the several types or modified 'orm's of glasses shown anddescribed in this application, including the folding glasses shown inFig. III when in position for use, the wearer, by manipulation of thelenses 1 and 2, gently bends the spring 10 against the force of thetension of the spring until the guards 19 are sufiiciently separated toadmit of their being placed astride the nose of the intended wearer, thesprings 23, by which the guards 19 are supported,-respectively servingto adjust the guards to their position upon opposite sides of the nose.The proper position of the glasses when in use is shown in dotted linesin Fig. II of the drawings, wherein the lenses 1 and 2 are shown tooccupy the same plane. The normal position of the lenses in the glasseswhen not in use is at an angle to the plane they occupy when in use, asshown in full lines in F ig. II. The deviation between the two positionsas shown in full and dotted lines is slightly exaggerated in order tomake clear the principle of operation of the mechanism.

The principle of operation of the glasses is the same throughout thevarious modifications illustrated, the variations being shown to clearlyillustrate the diiierent forms of embodiment of the same idea.

In the folding-frame type of glasses shown in Fig. III, the loops 9 ofthe lens-framepieces serve, when the lenses are separated for use, tounitethe lens-frame-pieces and the spring precisely in the same manneras they are united by the loop 8 in the stiffframe type of glasses. Thedistinction is that by the employment of the open loop 9 the screws 14and 15' may be utilized as pivots, whereas in the closed loopconstruction they are simply retaining-members, 00-

operating with the loops 8 to hold the lenses rigidly in fixedpositions, respectively.

What I claim is 1. As an improvement in eye-glasses, the combinationwith a pair of lens-frame-pieces adapted, respectively, to supportlenses and provided with boxes, of a spring provided with bent portionsadapted to enter the boxes respectively, screws passing through theboxes and the bent portions of the spring, respectively, and additionalmeans for securing the spring to the lens-frame-pleces, respectively.

2. As an improvement in eye-glasses, the combination with a guard, of aguard-support comprising a true spiral spring and a spring support, andmeans for securing the guard-support to the lens-frame-piece of aneye-glass.

3. As an improvement in eyeglasses, the combination with a pair oflens-frame-pieoes provided with boxes, of a spring provided withresilient coils adapted to enter said boxes respectively, securing meanspassing through the boxes and the resilient coils, respectively, andadditional means for securing the spring to the lens-frarne-pieces.

4. As an improvement in eye-glasses, the combination with alens-frame-piece and a guard, of a guard-support provided at one endwith means for securing it to the lensframe-piece and at the other witha true spiral spring secured to the guard.

In, testimony whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

LOUIS LABE MINCER.

Witnesses:

' IDA A. ZIMMER,

O. P. Downs.

